Method for manufacturing, assembling, and encapsulating non-combustible, non-toxic and lighter than air gases in a bubble wrap or pouch form for reduction of shipping costs

ABSTRACT

An embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing and assembling bubble wrap, packet containers, and other such shipping materials, with non-combustible, non-toxic, lighter than air gases, in a pressurized environment and/or container in order to reduce shipping costs. The ability to provide the features and functions of the present invention permits the ability to reduce shipping costs and protecting package contents.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to method for reducing shipping costs for packages by encapsulating non-combustible gases, such as helium, in bubble wrap or in a pouch form in order to make the package intended for shipping lighter, and therefore les expensive to ship.

2. Description of Related Art

Typical medium and large companies ship anywhere between hundreds to thousands of packets of mail a day. Many companies protect their fragile packages with materials that are intended to protect the package from excessive and harsh movement, but do not deal with increasing shipping costs at the same time. Therefore, it is not only important to protect the contents of the package, but to also find a useful method to reduce the costs of shipping materials while protecting the contents as well.

The method of the present invention solves the problems presented by shipping costs of packages by inserting non-combustible, non-toxic gases, lighter than air gases into packets and bubble wrap material while also providing protection for the contents of said package. This protection is ensured since the materials are created and stored in a sealed environment, and the gases are non-combustible, and non-toxic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention is the insertion of non-combustible, non-toxic, lighter than air gases into packets and/or bubble wrap, in any shape or size, described herein, which solves the problems of costly shipping of packages and containers, and protection of the material stored in the package.

Still other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein is shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative, in nature, and not as restrictive and what is intended to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims. The present invention will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the following description and attached drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts, and which drawings form a part of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a diagram of the apparatus that constructs materials such as bubble wrap and pouch containers with non-combustible gas that does not escape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One embodiment of the invention is a method of inserting non-combustible; non-toxic gases into bubble wrap or pouch containers for the purpose of reducing shipping costs while protecting the packages contents. It is important to note that these pouches and/or bubble wrap may be of any shape possible, such as elliptical shaped bubble wrap, rounded rectangle shaped bubble wrap, any dimensional shaped container (pouch), and much more.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details.

It should be noted that the bubble wrap and packet containers are manufactured and assembled inside a sealed and pressurized container, which is filled with Helium or other non-combustible, non-toxic and lighter than air gases. The advantage of manufacturing the bubble wrap and pouch container in a pressurized container or environment is that the gases inside the bubble wrap or pouch expand at outside pressure, and form a balloon-like shape. The material(s) used to build the bubble wrap and pouch container from would have elasticity built into them so that when the gas inside expands at outside or up to 40,000 feet elevation pressures, will not burst. It is also important to note that cargo and passenger planes travel up to 40,000 feet elevation en route to oversees and cross country trips.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an environment in which bubble wrap and/or pouch containers are constructed with non-combustible gases. An appropriate diagram mold 170 is created, which includes different shapes and sizes to accommodate different forms, shapes, and sizes of bubble wrap, and pouch containers. This mold is an exact shape and size of the desired bubble wrap or pouch container which will be injected with the non-combustible gas. It should be noted that this apparatus may have the ability to either (a) inject the bubble wrap or pouch container with the non-combustible gas or, (b) create the aforementioned mold, which will be described hereafter. In order to create said bubble wrap or pouch containers, a sheet of aluminum or Mylar will be fed into the apparatus 100 through an entrance and a door1 (item 130).

It should be noted that the environment 100 is filled with non-combustible, non-toxic, lighter than air gases. Two sheets of aluminum or Mylar then follow a path through two separate rolls for the two sheets inserted: roll 1 (item 140), and roll 2 (item 150). Once sheets are inside the apparatus 100, item 170 and item 180 come together to create the bubble wrap or pouch container, and ensure that the non-combustible gases have been inserted into the materials, by pressing the two together. When the final roll is completed, the material will go through roll 3 (item 190), and follows to door 3 (item 120) and places the completed roll into the sealed area and removes it by closing door 3 (item 120) and opening door 4 (item 110) thereafter. When the process is complete, door 4 is closed (item 110), and door 3 (item 120) is opened to receive the next material in the loop. It is important to note that this container, or environment (100) will have a gas entry point, at which a cylinder (200) full of non-combustible, lighter than air gases will fill the container (100) to an appropriate pressure. The pressure of the environment 100 is contained with a pressure gauge (210), to display the pressure of the gas inside the container.

One related art method that generally relates to the present invention is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,674 entitled “Method for processing residue-containing packages”. This related art method is a method is disclosed for processing residue-containing packages so as to receive valuable materials, in particular pressure containers for dispensing foams with propellant gases. For that purpose, extraction with a solvent is carried out essentially in atmosphere of propellant gas and/or solvent vapors.

The present invention differs from the above related art method in that the prior related art method deals with processing of packages containing residue. The method of the present invention does not deal with the processing of packages, nor does it deal with packages containing residue. The method of the present invention, therefore, differs from the prior related art in that the present invention creates bubble wrap or pouch containers filled with helium, or other non-combustible gases that are lighter than air, in order to reduce shipping costs.

The present invention operates to overcome the limitations of reducing shipping costs of packages by including features, which include:

-   -   (a) The ability to make the package lighter by inserting         non-combustible gases such as helium into bubble wrap and/or         pouch containers;     -   (b) The ability to protect the content of a package with the use         of the gas-filled bubble wrap or pouch container.

Described herein has been a method, utilized in any shipping environment, to utilize the gas-filled bubble wrap or pouch container to reduce shipping costs, while also allowing contents of the package to be protected.

While one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, it should be understood that the complete invention is delineated in the attached claims. 

1. Method for processing pressurized, non-combustible, non-toxic gases into bubble wrap and such related materials for the purpose of reducing weight of shipping materials, said method comprising the steps of: (a) placing bubble wrap and such related shipping materials into a pressurized, sealed apparatus/environment, and processing the non-combustible, non-toxic gases into said materials; (b) transferring said materials from said apparatus, and placing it into a sealed container.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said materials are constructed in a sealed apparatus and environment to ensure safe pressurization of gas which allows the non-combustible, non-toxic gases to be included in said materials. 